22 January 2004 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert today conveyed the deepest sympathies of the Philippines to Algeria and to the families of the victims of the last Monday’s gas plant blast.  She said that so far, there are no indications that Filipinos were hurt or had perished in the blast.

At least 27 people were killed and 72 injured when a huge explosion, apparently caused by a defective boiler, ripped through a liquefied natural gas plant near the eastern Algerian port of Skikda. The fire at the plant had been brought under control early Tuesday after raging for almost eight hours.

“We share in the grief of the people of Algeria and the families of those who lost their lives.  We pray for the safe and quick recovery of those injured.  I understand that rescue efforts continue and I hope that they find more survivors,” Secretary Albert said.

The Secretary said that the Department has been in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Libya, which has jurisdiction over Algeria, and that efforts are now being undertaken to verify that no Filipinos were injured in the blast.

“We are in close touch with Minister-Counsellor Benito Valeriano, who is our charge d’affaires in Libya.  He is making sure that no Filipinos were hurt in the blast,” Secretary Albert said.

“We have 659 Filipinos in Algeria, many of whom are working in the oil and gas fields there.  The vast majority of our Filipinos are in the fields in the Southeast part of Algeria, and not in the eastern Algerian port of Skikda,” the Secretary explained.

“We hope and pray that all our Filipinos are safe and uninjured.  We are prepared to assist our Filipinos in Algeria, should there be a need to do so,” Secretary Albert said. END.